Investigation ongoing into suspicious death of Maysville woman

Monday

MAYSVILLE – As the investigation continued Monday into the apparent suspicious death of a Maysville woman, questions remained not only for the law enforcement agencies involved.

Gregg Carpitano was friends with Elizabeth “Bethany” Rhoades and had searched himself the area near where her body was found Sunday night and finds it hard to believe that her body had not been discovered earlier.

“I don’t think she was there two weeks. There’s no way,” he said Monday afternoon.

The crime scene tape that surrounded the area Sunday along the White Oak River had been removed. Carpitano, who talked about his friend’s disappearance from near where she was found, said there isn’t much reason for people to be in the area, but it’s not far from populated areas.

Rhoades’ body was found on a wooded bank near the water across from the White Oak River Campground just outside the Maysville town limits.

She had been reported missing by her family and was last seen around 5 p.m. Feb. 10 leaving Carpitano’s business, Gregg’s Auto Salvage on U.S. 17, apparently walking toward her home on Jenkins Avenue.

Maysville Police Department was investigating the missing person case but where Rhoades’ body was found is just outside of the town limits, and the Jones County Sheriff’s Office is investigating her death with assistance from the State Bureau of Investigation as well as Maysville police.

“It has been determined to be a suspicious death,” said Capt. Jim Bateman of the Jones County Sheriff’s Office. “The SBI has been called in to assist and we are conducting interviews and following every lead we can. The case is still under investigation.”

An autopsy is to be done this week but when and where was not yet known, he said.

Bateman said they hope the autopsy will answer questions such as her cause of death and how long before her body was found that it occurred.

Right now, he said, they know few details about what happened between when she went missing and when she was found.

“What we’re trying to do is put the pieces back together,” Bateman said.

Carpitano said he has tried to do the same.

He said Rhoades worked for him regularly at his auto business and he offered a helping hand to her as well when she needed it.

Carpitano said he was the last person to see her before she started walking along U.S. 17 that evening.

He said that earlier that afternoon he had given her a ride and they had run several errands, including a trip to Piggly Wiggly in Maysville to pick up dog food and other items, a run to the ABC store in Pollocksville, a stop to see her mom and drop off the dog food and also a stop at the Handy Mart back in Maysville.

They returned to Carpitano’s house, which is beside his business, and she left not long after. He said she had had a few beers, but it wasn’t unusual for her to make the walk home, a distance of just over a mile north along U.S. 17. The site where she was found was just off that route and across U.S. 17.

Carpitano said he passed out fliers and searched himself for Rhoades, and he said he has contacted the local funeral home about paying expenses for the family.